Elective minor courses 6 hours

Choose two courses:

ASL 270 - ASL and English: Comparative Analysis (3)

This course covers areas of vocabulary, semantics, grammar and organization of ASL and English. Students look at the linguistic aspects of both languages and compare the two. The class also covers word classes and sentence structure of both languages. To assist students in understanding the structure of both languages, discussion of how languages work is included.

Prerequisites: LIN 101, GSR 102 and GSR 103 or equivalent

ASL 302 - Visual Language Resource Development (3)

Visual media has changed the way we work with American Sign Language. With the advent of new tools and platforms, possibilities of publishing have proliferated, allowing a wider discourse of ideas to be shared with a vast audience of people who work with ASL and ASL learners. This course explores these opportunities through a hands-on approach and introduces students to the tools and skills necessary to produce digital video, websites, interactive presentations and social media and integrate those with the field of ASL.

Prerequisites: ASL 270 and permission of instructor or program coordinator

ASL 304 - ASL Data Analysis and Applications I (3)

This course is designed to expose students to the variety of features in ASL by recognizing and considering the ways those features are demonstrated in naturalistic data. Students will compile a collection of data sets, which will allow them to investigate ASL features. Critical analysis of ASL features including ASL fingerspelling, sentence types, and non-manual aspects of the language reinforces students' abilities in creating, utilizing, and analyzing ASL materials for the purpose of academic research, pedagogy, and resources.

Prerequisites: ASL 302

ASL 305 - ASL Data Analysis and Applications II (3)

This course is designed to continue students' exposure to the variety of features in ASL by recognizing and considering the ways those features are demonstrated in naturalistic data. Students will compile a collection of data sets, which will allow them to investigate ASL features. Critical analysis of ASL features including ASL depiction, discourse features, and ASL registers reinforces students' abilities in creating, utilizing, and analyzing ASL materials for the purpose of academic research, pedagogy, and resources.

Prerequisites: ASL 304 or permission of instructor

ASL 314 - American Sign Language Literature: Narratives (3)

This course provides an overview of various genres in American Sign Language Narratives ranging from visual vernacular to fictional narratives. Students will analyze contents, themes and stylistic techniques of works done by various ASL literary artists. This course emphasizes practices in planning, developing, performing and critiquing various narrative genres.

Prerequisites: ASL 304

ASL 315 - ASL Literature: Poetry (3)

This course provides an overview of various genres in American Sign Language Poetics ranging from ABC Stories to Poetry. Students will analyze contents, themes and stylistic techniques of works done by various ASL literary artists. This course emphasizes practices in planning, developing, performing and critiquing various works in the poetics genres.

Prerequisites: ASL 314

ASL 380 - ASL Elocution: Applications (3)

This course covers elocution, in other words, registers of ASL discourse -- frozen, formal, consultative, casual and intimate. Students will be able to discuss using ASL in the most common registers (formals, consultative and casual) in classrooms or at social events. They will also learn how to refine their skills in giving presentations using formal ASL.

Prerequisites: ASL 270 or permission of instructor

ASL 405 - Discourse Features in ASL (3)

This course demonstrates the use of space and eye gaze. It also demonstrates the use of role shifting to indicate speaker or locus of the subject/object in the ASL text. Organization of an ASL text and the function of these features will be covered. How they overlap with other features of the language will also be covered. Turn-taking regulators will be discussed within the conversation style of a discourse text.

Prerequisite: ASL 305

DST 204 - Deaf Culture (3)

This course will begin with a macroscopic view of culture, and then will focus on the microscopic view of the Deaf experience. Multi-disciplinary approaches --- sociological, educational, linguistic, psychological and humanistic -- will be taken to study important persons, historical events and diversity within the global Deaf community.

Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in DST 203

DST 311 - Dynamics of Oppression (3)

This course examines various forms of oppression by looking across different cultures and communities, then examines possible parallels occurring within the deaf community.

Prerequisite: DST 101 or GSR 103

GSR 103 - American Sign Language and Deaf Studies (3)

This course is offered as part of a Learning Cluster which integrates GSR 101 (First Year Seminar), GSR 102 (Critical Reading and Writing) and GSR 103 (American Sign Language and Deaf Studies). The purpose of the course is to prepare students to engage in critical, academic thinking through American Sign Language. Students will be introduced to historical, linguistic, literary and academic dimensions of American Sign Language. Students will learn the differences between formal and informal uses of language and gain experiences in critical analysis of American Sign Language texts. This course will also explore the theme of "Deaf Lives" and engage students in thinking about the complexities involved in identity construction and what it means to live Deaf lives today.

Prerequisite: Grade of B or better in ASL 211 or qualifying performance on the ASL Placement Test or Department approval.